Fountain brush



J. L. LA' MURA FOUNTAIN BRUSH Aug. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1962 INVENTOR.

BY 44 M ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1964 J. L. LA MURA 3,144,676

FOUNTAIN BRUSH Filed March 7 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J05PH Z. [,4 M024 INVENTOR.

Jill

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,144,676 FOUNTAIN BRUSH Joseph L. La Mura, 367 Passaic Ave., West Caldwell, NJ. Filed Mar. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 178,130 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-586) This invention relates in general to a fountain brush or liquid applicator of the type wherein a brush is carried by a rod or piston which upon movement in opposite directions moves the brush outwardly through a discharge opening in one end of the container to a use position and retracts the brush to a storage position within the container, respectively.

It has been found to be difficult in applicators of this type to properly control the supply of liquid from the container to the brush and to maintain the brush in primed or moist condition, and a primary object of the present invention is to provide a liquid applicator which shall include a novel and improved construction and combination of parts whereby the flow of liquid to the brush can be controlled at the will of the operator, and a quantity of the liquid shall be retained around the brush to keep the brush moist when it is in storage or out-of-use position.

Another object is to provide an applicator of this character which shall include a novel and improved construc tion and combination of a valve rod and a liquid discharge tube for the container in which the valve rod is longitudinally reciprocable, said tube having a discharge opening through which the brush is movable into and out of the container and also having valve seats with which said Valve rod coacts so that when the container is inverted into use position to cause the liquid to flow from the discharge opening, the valve rod will limit the out-flow of the liquid to a predetermined amount to the brush and when the container is reversed into its normal out-of-use position, the brush will be retracted and the valve rod will limit the flow of liquid backwardly into the container so as to maintain a quantity of the liquid around the brush to keep the same in moist condition.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in con junction with the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a central vertical sectional view through a fountain brush embodying the invention with the con tainer shown in normal or out-of-use position and the brush in storage position, and with portions of the container shown in side elevation;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the container inverted with the brush projecting from the container into use position;

FIGURE 3 is an axial sectional view of the liquid discharge tube, taken on the plane at right angles to that shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detached side elevation of the valve rod with portions broken away and shown in section and with a portion of the brush indicated in broken lines;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation of the valve rod;

FIGURE 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 66 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of the valve rod.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the reference character A designates a container having a reservoir 1 for a liquid B, for example, nail polish, polish remover or paint. The container has a closed bottom that is enlarged to provide a base 2 for supporting the container in vertical position on a horizontal surface when not in use. The other end of the container is normally closed by a cap 3 which is removed 3,144,676 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 When the brush is to be used. Conveniently, the cap is threaded through the top or neck portion 4 of the container and the inside end surface 5 of the cap engages the end of a liquid discharge tube C that is tightly fitted in the container, thereby sealing the reservoir against loss of its liquid contents B.

The liquid discharge tube C is preferably formed of synthetic plastic material such as polyethylene and has a circumferential flange 6 intermediate its ends which abuts the end of the neck portion 4 of the container so that one end portion 7 of the tube projects out of the container while the other portion of the tube extends through the neck portion 4 of the container into the container as indicated at 8.

The interior surface of the liquid discharge tube is formed with two coaxial oppositely facing valve seats 9 and 10, one of which, in the present instance, the seat 9, faces outwardly toward the outlet end of the discharge tube while the other valve seat faces inwardly of the container.

A valve rod D is longitudinally reciprocably mounted within the liquid discharge tube and has a Valve head 11 at its inner end to coact with the valve seat 10. The valve rod also has another valve head 12 which cooperates with the valve seat 9. As shown, preferably the valve seats and the coacting portions of the respective valve heads are segmentally spherical so that the heads will remain seated upon slight tilting of the container. Mounted on the outer end of the valve rod is an applicator brush 13 for applying the liquid contents B of the container to an exterior surface such as a fingernail.

When the container is out of use and sets on its base 2, the valve rod by action of gravity moves the brush into storage position within the discharge tube and such movement is limited by engagement of the valve head 12 with the valve seat 9 as shown in FIGURE 1. The valve head 12 when seated on the valve seat 9 also will prevent the flow of any liquid from the outer end portion of the tube C around the brush backwardly into the container so as to keep the brush moist, and when the cap 3 is applied as shown in FIGURE 1, the evaporation of the liquid from the container is prevented.

When it is desired to use the applicator, the cap is removed and the container is inverted as shown in FIG- URE 2 whereupon the valve rod will descend in the discharge tube until the valve head 11 engages the Valve seat 10, valve head acting as piston to urge the liquid through the space between valve rod and the valve seats. In the meantime, liquid will have flowed from the container into the outlet end portion of the discharge tube C and onto the brush 13, some of the liquid being indicated by the broken lines 15 at the end of the brush. The end of the brush may then be pressed with a brushing action against the surface to which the liquid is to be applied. While the container remains in vertical position, further fiow of liquid to the brush is prevented, but when more liquid is needed, the brush may be pushed slightly upwardly or inwardly into the container and quickly released to momentarily unseat the valve head 11 and permit a small quantity of additional liquid to flow into the lower portion of the discharge tube and onto the brush.

After use of the applicator has been completed, the container is then turned right side up as shown in FIG- URE 1, whereupon the valve rod withdraws the brush into storage position within the discharge tube as shown in FIGURE 1 and the valve head 12 descends, acting as a piston to displace the liquid upwardly around the brush until the valve head engages the valve seat 9 to limit the flow of liquid from the outlet end of the discharge tube back into the container so as to keep a quantity of liquid around the brush and thereby maintain it constantly in condition for immediate use.

The clearance between the valve rod and the inner surface of the discharge tube C is such that the liquid retards the movement of the valve rod and the liquid is displaced by movement of the valve rod under influence of gravity so that the rate and amount of flow of liquid to the brush is controlled.

To facilitate the operation as described, the liquid discharge tube inwardly of the valve seat 9 is formed with apertures 16 to permit flow of liquid into and out of the tube beneath the valve head 11, and the extremity of the valve rod is tapered as indicated at 17 to reduce the resistance to the movement of the valve rod into its normal out-of-use position.

Also, the valve rod is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses 18 adjacent the valve head 12 and between it and the brush to facilitate movement of air past the valve head as the latter moves in the discharge tube C. It will be observed that as the valve head 12 is momentarily moved inwardly of the discharge tube when pressure is exerted on the brush, the valve head quickly displaces the liquid so as to cause the liquid to quickly flow to the brush.

Desirably the valve rod also has a plurality of circumferentially spaced protuberances 19 between the valve head 12 and the brush to engage the inwardly projecting rib 20 between the valve seats 9 and 10 and prevent the valve rod from accidentally falling out of the discharge tube C into the container A.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the dimensions of the discharge tube and the valve rod will be varied, depending upon the viscosity of the liquid and the desired rate of flow. It will also be evident to those skilled in the art that while the now preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes in the construction of the applicator may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A fountain brush comprising a container having a reservoir for liquid formed with a neck, a liquid discharge tube fitted in said neck with its inner end extending into said reservoir and its outlet end projecting outwardly from the neck, said discharge tube having two annular coaxial valve seats intermediate its ends one facing toward the outlet end of the discharge tube and the other facing toward the other end of the tube, a valve rod loosely longitudinally reciprocable in said discharge tube and having two valve heads spaced longitudinally of the rod each to coact with one of said valve seats, each valve head to control the flow of liquid through said tube in one direction, there being a space between the valve seats and the portion of the valve rod between said valve heads, and a brush mounted on one end of said valve rod and movable in opposite directions by said valve rod into storage position within the discharge tube and into use position projecting from the discharge tube, respectively, one valve head being formed at the end of the valve rod opposite the brush and the other valve head being disposed intermediate the length of the valve rod, said discharge tube having lateral apertures in its walls between the inner end of the tube and the valve seat that faces said inner end of the tube and closely adjacent the valve seat.

2. A fountain brush as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve heads constitute piston projections on said valve rod providing limited clearance for flow of liquid between them and the inner surface of said discharge tube and the projection forming the valve head for the valve seat facing the outlet end of the discharge tube has recesses between said valve head and the outlet end of the tube to facilitate the flow of air and liquid past said valve head upon movement of the valve head to and from its valve seat whereby when the container is in normal upright position, one valve head is seated on the valve seat facing the outlet end of the discharge tube with the brush retracted into the discharge tube and some of the liquid trapped between said valve seat and the outlet end of the tube and with the other valve head spaced from its valve seat, While when the container is inverted into use position, the valve rod slowly moves longitudinally of the discharge tube to unseat the valve head facing the outlet end of the tube and to seat the other valve head.

3. A fountain brush as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve seats and said valve heads are segmentally spherical.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,134,885 Matson Apr. 6, 1915 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,039,827 France May 20, 1953 

1. A FOUNTAIN BRUSH COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING A RESERVOIR FOR LIQUID FORMED WITH A NECK, A LIQUID DISCHARGE TUBE FITTED IN SAID NECK WITH ITS INNER END EXTENDING INTO SAID RESERVOIR AND ITS OUTLET END PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM THE NECK, SAID DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING TWO ANNULAR COAXIAL VALVE SEATS INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ONE FACING TOWARD THE OUTLET END OF THE DISCHARGE TUBE AND THE OTHER FACING TOWARD THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE, A VALVE ROD LOOSELY LONGITUDINALLY RECIPROCABLE IN SAID DISCHARGE TUBE AND HAVING TWO VALVE HEADS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF THE ROD EACH TO COACT WITH ONE OF SAID VALVE SEATS, EACH VALVE HEAD TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF LIQUID THROUGH SAID TUBE IN ONE DIRECTION, THERE BEING A SPACE BETWEEN THE VALVE SEATS AND THE PORTION OF THE VALVE ROD BETWEEN SAID VALVE HEADS, AND A BRUSH MOUNTED ON ONE END OF SAID VALVE ROD AND MOVABLE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS BY SAID VALVE ROD INTO STORAGE POSITION WITHIN THE DISCHARGE TUBE AND INTO USE POSITION PROJECTING FROM THE DISCHARGE TUBE, RESPECTIVELY, ONE VALVE HEAD BEING FORMED AT THE END OF THE VALVE ROD OPPOSITE THE BRUSH AND THE OTHER VALVE HEAD BEING DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE LENGTH OF THE VALVE ROD, SAID DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING LATERAL APERTURES IN ITS WALLS BETWEEN THE INNER END OF THE TUBE AND THE VALVE SEAT THAT FACES SAID INNER END OF THE TUBE AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THE VALVE SEAT. 